Graphical MUD game interface

Dreamer's Code
Bellring a Member
Report Mistakes/Typos
Report Easter Eggs

About Masterplans
Santhworld: Program
SW.: Game Designer
SW.: Treasure Shoals
SW.: Lorehold
SW.: Nepris
SW.: Trivia
Santharia: Manthria
Nybelmar: Zhunite Pl.
Sarvonia: Icelands

World Map Overview
Distances in Caelereth
Climate Map of Sarvonia
Continent: Aeruillin
Continent: Akdor
Continent: Cyhalloi
Continent: Nybelmar
Continent: +Details NE
Continent: +Details NW
Continent: +Details SE
Continent: +Details SW
Continent: +Politics
Continent: Sarvonia
Lands: Icelands
Lands: +Tribes
Lands: Caael'heroth
Lands: Iol Peninsula
Lands: Kanapans
Lands: Kuglim Lands
Kingdom: Santharia
Kingdom: +Ancient
Kingdom: +Provinces
Kingdom: +Rivers
Kingdom: +Routes
Details: Manthria
Details: Ráhaz-Dáth
Details: Silvermarshes

Create Beasts
Create Plants
Create Races/Tribes
Create People
People Nomenclature
Create Places
Create Gods, Myths...
Create Spells/Magic
Create Library Entries
Create Misc. Stuff

Reserving Resources
Arbaon Pictures
Bard Judith Pictures
Eratin Pictures
Faugar Pictures
Grunok's Pictures
Ingeborg Pictures
Isilhir Pictures
Koldar Pictures
Linda Tso Pictures
Quellion Pictures
Quellion Pictures II
Shayan's Pictures
Seeker Pictures
Sheil Pictures
Sheil Pictures II

Proverbs & Sayings
Styrásh (Elvish)
Thergerim (Dwarvish)
Kuglimz'Seitre
Kh'omchr'om (Orcish)
Trollish

[Artimidor Federkiel]

I've talked with Nate that we should focus on integrating graphics into the MUD very soon, and we've finally decided to give this issue priority. With the graphics we'll have one more piece to add to a unique game experience.

Required for this step however is that we have a graphical game interface done, which will not only include a picture area, but also e.g. an area for a compass rose (where possibile directions will highlight) and a portrait area, as well as displays for hit points, mana etc.  - and some additional icons (backpack etc.).

We'd need some artists' help here - Faugar has already done a game interface, and Quellion has also done a special pic for the site layout, so we can have assistance here as well. It only needs to be drawn once, then it will always be present if you play the game. I guess having this game interface (giving us the possibility to integrate all other pics we have of landscapes mainly), can add a lot to the appearance of the game.

Well, at the moment we need to sketch on how this interface should look like (ideas and sketches welcomed!) - so I'll see if I can post a first proposal soon for general discussion.

I've also discussed an idea to support our artists with Nate, and we agree that this could be helpful as well to get commissions: I also that in case  we can add graphics to the MUD and it develops further and further, we could allow people to add their own character pics into the game (like a forum pic at ezBoard, but larger mayhaps). Because there are lots of players in the Sorren strategy game (=lots of potential customers), of course my main intention is to promote portrait drawing through Santharian artists for money. Well, only an idea so far, but maybe it can be of use eventually for all participants. People who commission portrait drawings not only will get their own unique identity in the game, but they as well will support the development of the MUD and the artists.

The Santharian Dream Webmaster - Let Fantasy Dreams come true!
World Development Admin - The Forum where Worlds are born...

[Artimidor Federkiel]

Ok, I've made a first very rough version of a possible MUD screen, containing only the most important things. This should represent only a general orientation so far, so give comments please.

The items placed there are shamelessly stolen from Quellion and Faugar (and the compass rose is from Dungeon Siege), but it it should only give you first impression, not more.

You can click on the picture below BTW to view a 800x600 version to get an idea for this resolution..

The Santharian Dream Webmaster - Let Fantasy Dreams come true!
World Development Admin - The Forum where Worlds are born...

Edited by: Artimidor Federkiel at: 8/24/02 6:10:19 pm

[Myrik]

When I play a game the graphics may catch my attention, but there are several elements that keep me playing it for years.  Most are built into the game structure itself and are things like being able to build your own area inside the game, such as a house.  There are two ways a client contributes to this.  The first is by ease of use (not very clumsy), and the second feature is customizability.  I'm hoping the ealiases and macros will help with the customizablility a lot.  Buttons and meters on the screen could be "scripted" so various things control them.

I think the above image is forgetting about some things that would make the game easier and friendlier such as inventory, enemy condition, equipment, stats, skills, spells, quickbuttons, formation(group) stats.

I'm going to try to illustrate what I mean. In the next message.  But please try and figure out how we could add the things above and make it more customizable.

[Artimidor Federkiel]

Haven't I mentioned that it only contains a very first sketch, just that you can see in which direction it heads? That's all for now you can see.

There's mainly space left to the left and to the right of the textbox. Some things could also be handled by replacing the main picture (e.g. selecting different formations etc.) One after the other.

The Santharian Dream Webmaster - Let Fantasy Dreams come true!
World Development Admin - The Forum where Worlds are born...

Edited by: Artimidor Federkiel at: 8/24/02 8:55:10 pm

[Myrik]

I didn't mean at all what you had was bad.  This is more of what I was thinking, and since I did this I have thought about a couple of other things.  Like a map when in the wilderness.

Anyway here is an idea.  We could make it so that the compass is clickable.  Putting it right beside the send button would be convenient for this.  The skills bar at the left would swap out according to what left menues were selected.

Anyway click image for a larger version

[Myrik]

click here for psd

[Artimidor Federkiel]

Of course the compass shoudl be clickable, that's very important (and that the directions shoudl highlight). But where exactly is the map you are refering to?

The Santharian Dream Webmaster - Let Fantasy Dreams come true!
World Development Admin - The Forum where Worlds are born...

[Tyrian Jadewalker]

i think he just means that there should be a map in the game that you can purchase or something and be able to bring up to see where you are and where you wanna go...

Tyrian Jadewalker

[Quellion]

No, I think Myrik is talking about the ascii map that appear next to the prompt when in the wilderness. In some MUDs you have to use the command "survey",to look at it. They look something like this:

^^^*****
^^^^^***
^^^O^**
-------**
___***

Being each character a room in the wilderness. * could be sea, ^ could be mountains, - plains, and O could be  a town or something.

Of course, being a graphics oriented MUD, the map could be made of tiles, and put on one side, not along the room description.

My Site

[Quellion]

One more thing, about the image with the mountains. How about a horizontal scrolling image. So if you look south the image scrolls smoothly until it points south. The picture should be seamless, of course, like the header for the site.

I've been thinking about it and doing some sketches of how could it work. Below is a topdown map, the x is the wilderness room where the player is. Brown are mountains, dark green are woods, light green are plains. The player is currently in woods, and north is up:



And other image for further explanation:



The final image displayed on the screen will be composed of layers. From bottom to top:

-Sky
-Sun, moon, stars
-Clouds
-Ground, horizon
-Far terrain, this would be the blue squares in the second pic
-Near terrain, the red squares.
-Actual terrain, the terrain the player is on

An example:



The black vertical lines show the span of a given direction view. The gray ones are the location of the far terrain.

We could start with generic terrains in day/night, summer/winter/autum?, and when that's done, maybe, add special pics for special places. Or add a dungeon, and town version of the system.

My Site

[Artimidor Federkiel]

*phew* Well, I also have concerns here about this idea, Quellion. It will also be extremely difficult to integrate, and each movement on the map would require complicated thoughts on what layers should be combined and how (and thousands of rooms make this an impossible feat if you ask me). Also doing it this way would mean even more work for the artists (you!) I assume than drawing standalone pictures. This system furthermore would make the places not unique anymore as many parts would be permanently used. Finally I think that certain perspective couldn't be realized at all this way. But if I take only one of your drawings and split it up, I have already 4-5 pictures, and some rooms will show the same pic if you are walking around in a region - so with one pic I can cover a whole village already. I think the easiest way to draw and program will also prove the most effective eventually. But this is only my personal opinion of course.

The Santharian Dream Webmaster - Let Fantasy Dreams come true!
World Development Admin - The Forum where Worlds are born...

[Quellion]

Yes, I know it's a bit complex

Oh well, less work for me, that's for sure  

My Site

[Myrik]

Actually I was thinking about a pixel by pixel representation of the zone.  Where each collor is a different room type.  Maybe a path is brown, grass is green, cities are black with an grey fence around them

[Myrik]

I think doing a different picture for each room, or anything like that would be very complex and hard.  It wouldn't bother me if we had no pictures at all.  But when/if you guys decide to do these unit portraits for example it would be good to have some consistancy and do unit pictures for all units.

That's just my idea.  I didn't explain the map thing very well.  The basic idea was to have a top view when in the wilderness only.  It wouldn't be used inside other zones since there is no coordinate system there yet.

[Myrik]

Sorry, I didn't mean to stop the development on this thing by mentioning a map or anything.  I have been thinking a bit about the design and I think maybe the background to this webpage might work well for the background around the controls in the game while playing.

We have just a few more weeks to work on The Lands of Sorren before focusing heavy on the mud once again.  I would like to see some client side improvements this time around.  Suggestions, graphics, project management assistence appreciated.

   About this Board
   Dev Introduction
   Developer's 1x1
   Technical Forum Stuff
   Advanced Forum Help
   Testing Thread
   Where's the game?

Advanced search

[Members]

Members Total Members: 1007 Latest: Manticain Stats Total Posts: 143130 Total Topics: 10873 Online Today: 15 Online Ever: 226 (05 November 2012, 23:38:23) Users Online Users: 0 Guests: 6 Total: 6

[Artimidor Federkiel]

Last 10 Shouts: Artimidor Federkiel Today at 17:14:39 If it works, sure! Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin Today at 16:47:05  Art, is this your little way of forcing me to do an entry? Irid alMenie Today at 14:01:26 I see the board has been deactivated. Lets hope for a quick solution! Artimidor Federkiel 16 May 2013, 22:20:50 Files have been replaced again, but the question remains how long this will last. SMF support will have a look at the security problem. Artimidor Federkiel 16 May 2013, 17:26:47 It has been hacked. The third time in 3 days. I need to replace the changed files again (won't happen before evening) - and then see what the SMF support recommends as a strategy. Irid alMenie 16 May 2013, 10:06:36 Arti, could you maybe take a look at the RPG board? I got a message from my anti-virus program and now I can't access the column on the right with the list of current threads and the shoutbox. Thankies Artimidor Federkiel 04 May 2013, 13:50:24 Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels 03 May 2013, 19:31:50 got it! The menu to the left is so convenient, that I nearly forgot the old souce... Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels 03 May 2013, 19:23:01 Artimidooor.. could you please add the Northern Sarvonian Tribe's map to the map menu? As you know, my mouse over does not work I could't find it right now, though I know it does exist somewhere. Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels 30 April 2013, 23:32:56 Huhu, huhu, huhu, ..that was my owl..

[Artimidor Federkiel]

Artimidor Federkiel

[Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin]

Altario Shialt-eck-Gorrin

[Irid alMenie]

Irid alMenie

[Artimidor Federkiel]

Artimidor Federkiel

[Artimidor Federkiel]

Artimidor Federkiel

[Irid alMenie]

Irid alMenie

[Artimidor Federkiel]

Artimidor Federkiel

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels

[Artimidor]

	Powered by SMF 1.1.18 | SMF © 2005, Simple Machines TinyPortal v0.9.8 © Bloc
Theme based on Cerberus with Risen adjustments by Bloc and Krelia Modified By Artimidor for The Santharian Dream